Skeletons In The Closet
by CanzetYote
Summary: Sunil has a recurring nightmare where he is visited by the ghost of a pet. By helping her, he uncovers a dark, decades-old secret the Littlest Pet Shop has been hiding.
1. Nightmares

**NOTE:** _This is my very first LPS fanfic. It's centered on Sunil, who is my favorite character in the show. In this fic, Sunil is capable of seeing and communicating with ghosts and he becomes a detective of sorts, helping find the body of a pet who was tortured to death by her owner. Feel free to read and review._

The blue mongoose tossed and turned in bed, sweat pouring down his face. His heart pounded as he was deep in dreamland.

Sunil opened his eyes. He was in the back of the Littlest Pet Shop but the atmosphere seemed different. A thick, ominous fog rolled in and he felt a shiver run down his spine. Suddenly, a bloodcurdling shriek filled the air and Sunil raced around the corner to see a terrifying sight.

A man in a trenchcoat stood over a hamster with a steak knife in hand. Tears of shock stung Sunil's gold eyes as he watched the man plunge the blade into the hamster repeatedly. The blue mongoose was paralyzed, he didn't know what to do and was frozen in fear. Suddenly, the figure turned and stared at him. In a split second, the man lunged at Sunil with his knife raised.

Sunil's eyes snapped open as he woke up with a scream. Pure panic flowed through him as he breathed heavily, hyperventilating. His eyes darted around the room, tears of fear rolling freely from them and wetting the turquoise fur of his face. He knew he was going to be in for a long night.

The next morning, he was dropped off by his owner at the Littlest Pet Shop. The instant the other pets saw him, they knew he seemed even more jittery and paranoid than usual. Zoe Trent was the only pet missing in action as she was with her owners on a cruise ship out in the Carribean, enjoying the high life. Russell approached Sunil, "Hey, Sunil, is everything all right? You look really pale."

The blue mongoose shivered, "Me? I'm fine, fine, fine. Just perfectly fine. Don't worry about me, I'm just being myself." Sunil giggled nervously.

Russell rubbed his chin skeptically, "Are you sure?"

"Positive." Sunil nodded perhaps a little too vigorously.

Pepper shrugged, "You probably just had a nightmare of some sort, you should probably stop watching so many horror movies before bed. The zombies just might getcha someday!"

"I believe they have already had." Sunil replied dryly as he sat down.

Penny smiled, "Blythe made us some pretty good food, maybe that will cheer you up."

Sunil sighed, "I'm afraid that my appetite will have to disagree with that statement."

Vinnie dashed up to Sunil and put his arm across him, "Come on, bro. You gotta eat something. Dessert is the most important meal of the day, you know!"

Russell raised an eyebrow, "You mean breakfast?"

Vinnie grinned as he rubbed Sunil's back, "Yeah, that's what I said."

Sunil sighed and stared at the floor, "I didn't get much sleep last night. Maybe I should take a nap."

Russell sighed, "Yeah, you go do that. What kept you up last night, anyway?"

"Loud party." Sunil lied, "The neighbors played mariachi music all night long."

"Maybe your owner should file a noise complaint." Russell replied.

Pepper giggled to Minka, "I'll make sure to hire a real annoying mariachi band to play at Sunil's next birthday party."

Minka smiled, "I like mariachi music, it helps inspire my painting."

Just then, Blythe entered the shop carrying two bags of groceries, "Hey, everyone. I got some groceries for Mrs Twombly. Is everything all right?"

Russell shrugged, "I don't know, Sunil's been acting pretty strangely. He almost looks like he's seen a ghost or something. But as we all know, ghosts don't exist."

Pepper rolled her eyes, "What else is new with him?"

Blythe nodded, "Hold on, just let me put these groceries away first. I guess a talk with him wouldn't hurt."

Sunil opened his eyes and saw a little black imp creature running across the counter. He let out a sigh and rubbed his eyes, trying to let his vision adjust to the bright lights of the Littlest Pet Shop. He blinked rapidly and let out a loud yawn, "Stupid shadows..." he mumbled quietly to himself. Suddenly he felt a hand on his shoulder and a chill ran down his spine. He turned slowly and jumped at the sight of Vinnie.

"Boo!" Vinnie shouted, causing the mongoose to jump almost ten feet in the air.

Sunil shot a glare at Vinnie upon landing, "How dare you sneak up on me like that! You know just how easily startled I can be!"

Vinnie chuckled a bit, "Sorry, dude. But you really need to wake up. Maybe some coffee will do you good."

Sunil sighed, "I'm trying to cut back on my caffeine, you know. It makes me so much more jittery than normal!"

"Maybe try standing on your head?" Minka suggested.

"Sorry, Minka but I am not in the mood for passing out." Sunil replied.

Blythe finished putting away the groceries and knelt beside Sunil, "The others do have a point, you do seem much more tired than normal."

Sunil sighed and started rubbing his tail, "You can blame the mariachi neighbors for that. Try staying awake through that kind of racket."

Russell nodded, "I doubt I could sleep peacefully with that kind of music blaring."

Blythe gently patted Sunil on the head, "Try and take some naps okay, Sunil? Just rest for a bit."

Sunil nodded tiredly and for the rest of the day, the pets decided to leave Sunil alone so he could catch up on his sleep. He tried his best to nap but the nightmare still kept him awake. He could remember the disturbing image of the hamster being stabbed to death by the tall man in a trench coat. He could hear the screams as clear as day and when the man turned and saw him, he could feel his blood freeze in his veins.

That night, Sunil went to sleep and had a similar nightmare. He was walking through an underground laboratory of some sort. He looked around himself and saw weird instruments hanging from the ceiling, cobwebs and beakers full of mysterious fluid. He passed a test tube with some kind of two-headed pig fetus floating inside of it with a placenta. The eyeballs were removed from the heads and floated about in the liquid. Sunil could feel his stomach churn at the sight so he squeezed his eyes shut and ignored the thing. Suddenly, he could hear bloodcurdling screams from down the hall. He ran in the general direction of the screams and witnessed a doctor of some sort who had a hamster strapped to a gurney with wires attached to her. Voltage ran through her as she screamed her lungs out.

Sunil awoke with a gasp and instantly saw a floating, green glowing hamster skull in front of him. Blood leaked out of it's empty eye sockets like red tears. Stunned, Sunil shivered in his blanket as the skull spoke to him, "Sunil...please help..."

Sunil whimpered a little, tears of fear forming in his eyes, "Wh-wh-what do you want? Please don't hurt me. I am just a humble little mongoose!"

"My name is Kim." The skull replied, "My bones are buried in a place of friendship which was once a place full of sorrow and pain. Please, find my bones, Sunil. I need to rest in peace."

Sunil whimpered and clutched his blanket as his heart raced, "How do you know my name?"

"Find...my...bones..." The skull repeated and slowly faded away.

Sunil closed his eyes and felt a warm tear run down his muzzle as he whispered softly, "I'll try..."

And with that, Sunil buried his face in his paws and started choking back sobs. He wasn't exactly sure why he was crying, possibly a mixture of fear and pity for the tortured soul that just visited him. He knew he wasn't going to get much sleep that night or any sleep at all for that matter. Tomorrow, he was going to investigate the cause of the nightmares.


	2. Investigation

**NOTE:** _Here is the 2nd chapter of my story. Keep in mind that I'm not a SunilXVinnie or a SunilXPenny shipper, the reason I teamed those three up is because I think it would be OOC for Sunil to reveal his secrets to Russell, Pepper, Minka or Zoe. He trusts Vinnie a lot and Penny is very compassionate and understanding. Besides, Sunil needed Penny's muscle to break down the wall. Also, sorry to SunilXPepper shippers if I made Pepper act like a bit of a bitch to Sunil in this chapter. Feel free to read and review. Enjoy! _

The next day, Sunil was the first to arrive at the pet shop. He looked like a mess, dark circles under his eyes, fur stained with sweat and tears and eyes red from crying and overall lack of sleep. But he knew he had a mission, he could feel it in his gut and his psychic powers informed him that the place he loved so much, the place where he hung out with all his friends held some deep, dark secret.

The blue mongoose headed straight for the wall and started tapping it, feeling for a hollow space. He moved along the wall, slapping his paw against it. Nothing, solid as a rock. Suddenly, he heard a voice behind him, "Hey, Sunil!"

Sunil jumped up and spun around to see Pepper grinning at him, her pink eyes full of joy. Sunil began hyperventilating and clutched his chest with his paw, "Pepper, you scared me!"

Pepper rolled her eyes, "Infomercials terrify you. Lint terrifies you. Dirty underwear terrifies you. What aren't you afraid of?"

Sunil sighed, "Look, this is very serious, Pepper. I do not have time for your jokes."

Pepper snickered, "Lighten up a little, you look like a mess! Did you spend the night partying too hard? No wait, you're Sunil, the word partying isn't even in your vocabulary!"

Sunil ignored Pepper's smart remark and sighed, "Have you ever thought that this very place may hide a real dark secret?"

"Like what?" Pepper replied, "The secret place Russell goes when he has to fart?"

Sunil rolled his bright gold eyes at the skunk, "No, I mean, what if someone was murdered here a long time ago?"

Pepper shrugged, "What makes you think that?"

Sunil looked at Pepper, "My psychic-"

Pepper rolled her eyes and interrupted, "Nice try, Sunil. You should know by now that you aren't the least bit psychic. Why don't you just stick with fake magic and illusions? You can take your act to Vegas!"

And with that, Pepper walked away laughing her tomboyish laugh. Sunil shed a single tear, no one ever took him seriously. Oh well, he had a mission to complete: Find that wall. He searched the main room and everything was solid. It wasn't long before Russell, Penny, Minka and finally, Vinnie arrived as well. Sunil approached them and spoke up, "Vinnie and Penny, is it all right if I have a nice, long talk with the two of you?"

"What about me?" Minka asked.

Sunil's ears wilted, "This is very personal and very private. I am sorry, Minka, but this does not concern you."

Minka sighed, "Oh, all right. Why don't you want us to hear?"

Sunil shook his head, "It's too embarassing. Vinnie and Penny won't laugh at me if I tell them."

Russell tried to smile, "All right, then. You guys may want to go somewhere more private."

"Thank you for understanding, Russell." Sunil replied, "Vinnie, Penny and I will take the dumbwaiter down to the basement. I know it's a little odd down there, but the three of us can handle it...I think..."

"To the basement, you sure that's safe?" Russell asked.

Vinnie grinned, "Of course, it's safe. Safe and private." The lizard turned to the mongoose and panda, "The two of you ready?"

Sunil nodded reluctantly, "I need to get this off my chest."

Vinnie smiled, "And if any creepy monsters lurk in the basement, Penny is here to protect us, isn't that right?"

The panda nodded timidly, "I...I guess so..."

Vinnie clapped his hands together, "So, it's settled, we're taking the dumbwaiter down to the basement."

Russell nodded, "Just remember to be careful down there, okay?"

"Make sure to send me a postcard!" Pepper joked.

And so, the mongoose, panda and lizard got in the dumbwaiter and went down. When it hit the bottom the three got out and noticed some stacks of boxes. Each of them grabbed a box and sat down on it. There was a long, awkward silence before it was broken my Vinnie, "So, Sunil. What do you want to tell us?"

Sunil breathed a heavy sigh and looked down, "You know how I am always so jittery and scared?" Vinnie and Penny nodded slowly as the blue mongoose continued on, "I can see ghosts."

Penny blinked, "Ghosts?"

Sunil nodded slowly, his heart racing, "Yeah, it's...it's kind of like how Blythe can talk to animals but...I can talk to the dead."

Vinnie patted Sunil on the back, "Really? You can talk to dead stuff? That is so cool! You must have a gift, you-"

"IT IS NOT A GIFT, IT IS A CURSE!" Sunil screamed, interrupting Vinnie. Penny gasped and whimpered a little and Sunil mentally kicked himself for scaring her, "Sorry about the yelling..."

"Why don't you want the others to know about this?" Penny asked.

Sunil closed his eyes, "Russell does not believe in ghosts, he'd think I am crazy. Pepper would just laugh at me and make a joke, Zoe's off on vacation and Minka sometimes has trouble keeping secrets."

There was a long pause before Vinnie finally spoke again, "So, what's it like having this curse?"

Sunil felt a lump in his throat as he took a deep, shaky breath, "Imagine seeing transparent pets all the time, only they are really cold and sometimes smell like blood, rotting flesh or perfume. Sometimes, shadows will dart across walls from the corner of your eye. Sometimes...these ghosts talk with me. Some are pleasant. Others...not so much." Sunil blinked back the salty tears stinging the corners of his brilliant gold eyes.

"What do you mean?" Penny asked instantly.

Sunil took a deep breath and sniffled a bit, trying to choke back the tears at the painful memory, "One time...I woke up at night. And I...I just could not move. It felt like ice was being stabbed into me and I could hear this growling in my ear...I...tried to scream and nothing came out..." Tears were now trickling down Sunil's cheeks as a sob escaped his throat, "It seemed to go on for hours. It...clawed at me...I...finally was able to move my head and I saw it...It...it was horrible...I...no...no...NO, STOP IT STOP IT STOP IT, I DON'T WANT IT, IT'S RIGHT HERE CAN'T YOU SEE IT HELP ME PLEASE MAKE IT GO AWAY DON'T LET IT HURT ME DON'T LET IT HURT ME!" The blue mongoose screamed hysterically, trembling all over, tears falling from his face like rain.

Vinnie and Penny were taken aback by Sunil's hysterical screaming but then they softened at the sight of the blue mongoose weeping softly, rocking back and forth as he hugged his knees to his chest.

Vinnie patted Sunil on the back as tears began to form in his own eyes, "We're here for you, Sunil. We won't let anything hurt you. We promise."

Penny took a step forward and wrapped her arms around the tearful and traumatized mongoose, letting him cry it all out into her shoulder. For what seemed in hours, Sunil cried his heart out but it was only about 15 minutes before his sobs quieted down from Penny's hug and Vinnie's soothing back massage. The mongoose wiped his eyes and whimpered a little, "I am sorry you had to see that but what I saw was so bad, I would not even wish it on a cobra."

Penny smiled at Sunil, "There's nothing wrong with crying when your scared, Sunil. I cry when I'm afraid."

"Might make you a little less manly, though." Vinnie joked. Penny crossed her arms and glared at the gecko, "What? I was only joking."

Sunil got up, "Manly or not, I need to find the body in this house. A ghost contacted me last night and told me that her bones were buried here. She deserves to cross over to the other side. Will the two of you help me?"

Vinnie and Penny nodded as Penny spoke up, "If there really is a dead pet here, then she'll need a proper burial."

Sunil smiled, "All right, all we have to do is feel the walls for a hollow opening, if you tap the wall and there's an echo, try to make a hole in the wall. Penny Ling, I'll need your muscle for that."

Vinnie chuckled a bit, "Gee Sunil, you sound an awful lot like Russell."

Sunil giggled a bit, "I...guess I do."

And with that, the three began investigating and tapping the walls of the basement. Suddenly, Vinnie tapped a wall and heard an echo, "Hey, you guys, I think I just found a wall."

Sunil walked up to it and knocked on it, "Sounds hollow. Penny, if you would kindly do the honors."

Penny smiled timidly, "Well, here goes nothing." The panda closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She raised her fist and punched the wall, making a hole in it. She then started to rip the wall space apart, making a hole large enough for them to enter.

Sunil looked impressed, "Wow, Penny. Where did you learn to have that kind of strength?"

Penny smiled, "Believe it or not, I train in martial arts. I'm pretty good at breaking boards."

"I hurt my hand whenever I try that. That's why I stick with dancing." Vinnie replied.

Penny smiled, "It takes a lot of concentration and discipline."

Sunil smiled, "Well, anyway, let's go look inside."

Vinnie raised an eyebrow, "For once, you aren't scared. Are you all right, Sunil?"

"Just fine. Nothing terrifying about uncovering a dead body hidden in a wall." Sunil replied sarcastically.

Vinnie breathed a sigh of relief, oblivious to Sunil's sarcasm "Oh, for a second there, I thought you'd start freaking out."

"Just think of cobras. Brave mongoose. Strong mongoose. Courageous mongoose." Sunil mumbled out loud to himself.

The blue mongoose stepped inside the hole and saw a safe of some sort. There was a lock combination. Sunil touched the lock and turned it to the right. Suddenly, an alarm started blaring and gas began spraying out of the safe. Before Sunil could cover his nose, he breathed some of it in and instantly felt lightheaded. Stumbling out of the hole, the mongoose spoke, "Gas...don't go in there..."

And with that, everything went dark as Sunil slipped into unconciousness and Vinnie began screaming, "Sunil!? SUNIL!"

Penny whimpered a bit, "What happened?"

Vinnie turned to Penny with tears in his eyes, "Sunil breathed in knockout gas. We need to go up and tell Blythe."

Penny bit her lip in response, big tears beginning to stream down her face, "Is he going to be...o...okay?"

"You carry him, Penny. You're much stronger than I am." Vinnie replied.

"All right." Penny nodded sadly.


	3. Recovery

**NOTE:** _Here is the 3rd chapter. Poor Sunil. Can't blame him for being so jumpy is he sees ghosts almost all the time. Don't you just wanna hug him? Anyways, in this chapter, Sunil shares his secret with Blythe._

_"Welcome to my life"_  
A young hamster was whimpering all alone in a dark cage  
_"This is my story"_  
The hamster was being electrocuted  
_"It is a sad tale"_  
Surgical gloves were being strapped on a hand  
_"A tale of loneliness"_  
A scalpel was lifted up  
_"Of despair"_  
The scalpel slowly cut into the hamster  
_"Of pain"_  
A deformed fetus in a jar appeared  
_"I had no friends."_  
Blood splashed on a curtain  
_"No one to love me."_  
The hamster was thrown against a wall  
_"Nothing but torture"_  
The hamster was choked  
_"My name is Kim Campbell"_  
A big, bloody "IW" appeared  
_"Sunil Nevla, you are the key."_  
A big, bloody "1972" appeared  
_"The code is left 9, right 76, left 21, right 43."_  
Kim's distressed face appeared  
_"Set me free, Sunil..."_

Sunil's eyes slowly opened and he noticed he was in a bright, white and sanitary place. The vet. He let out a loud yawn and turned to his right to see Blythe staring at him, "You okay, Sunil?"

Sunil rubbed his eyes, "Define okay."

Blythe patted the blue mongoose on his head and scratched behind his ears, "You came in knocked out. The vet said you must've breathed in knockout gas. What happened?"

Sunil drew a heavy sigh, "Vinnie, Penny and I took the dumbwaiter down to the basement."

"Why?" Blythe asked.

Sunil closed his eyes, "You know how you can talk to animals?" Blythe nodded as the mongoose continued, "I've only told this to Vinnie and Penny but...there's something only I can talk to as well."

"What do you mean?" Blythe asked, sitting down next to Sunil and looking into his soft, gold eyes.

"I can see dead things. Mostly pets but sometimes people too. I can talk with them, too..." Sunil explained.

"What does this have to do with knockout gas?" Blythe asked.

Sunil closed his eyes, "It's a long story and you probably wouldn't believe me even if I told you."

"Try me." Blythe replied, crossing her arms.

And so, Sunil told Blythe everything from the nightmares to finding the safe. When he finish, he looked at her with big, sad eyes, "Do you believe me?"

Blythe smiled and chuckled, "If I can talk to animals, of course I believe you. I'd be a hypocrite if I said I didn't."

Sunil breathed a sigh of relief, "Thank you, Blythe. I knew I could count on you. So, is everyone waiting for me?"

Blythe nodded, "Pepper is with me. She actually seemed rather upset that you were unconcious."

Sunil blinked, "Really? Pepper? Worried about me?"

Blythe nodded, "You stay here, I'll go get her."

Sunil let out a sigh, thinking about the dream he just had before his talk with Blythe. Kim had given him a couple clues, the initials "IW" and the number "1972". Perhaps 1972 was the year of the hamster's death and IW was the initials of the owner. Sunil suddenly remembered Kim gave him a lock combination in the dream but he couldn't remember it for the life of him. The blue mongoose blinked back a few tears at what Kim said in the dream. She lived a life of complete isolation and torture with no contact to the outside world and that just broke his little heart to pieces. Now more than ever, he'd try to help that poor, lost soul find peace.

Blythe entered the room with Pepper in her arms and the skunk hopped out of Blythe's arms and ran up to the mongoose, "Are you all right, Sunil? Look, I'm sorry that I insulted you back there, that was just awful of me."

Sunil couldn't help but smile, "I only breathed in knockout gas, Pepper. I'm not going to die or anything. Besides, that's all water under the bridge. Your insults are the least of my concerns now."

Pepper breathed a sigh of relief, "That's good to hear." There was a long, awkward pause and Pepper cleared her throat, "You um...know how I tease you all the time?"

"Yes?" Sunil raised an eyebrow.

"Well..." Pepper bit her lip, "Sometimes people tease each other because um well...they are good friends. Am I right?"

Sunil rubbed his chin in deep thought, "I...guess so."

"So, are you my good friend?" Pepper asked, feeling herself blush a little.

Sunil smiled, "Of course, you're my friend, Pepper. Everyone's my friend at the pet shop. We've all been together so long, we're almost like a family."

Blythe smiled, "Sunil's right, Pepper. We are like a family, we're always looking out for one another. No matter what happens, we're all in this together."

Sunil felt a lump in his throat as he squeezed his own tail. Now he felt really guilty not sharing his secret with Russell, Pepper and Minka. The mongoose suddenly blurted out, "IW. 1972."

"What?" Blythe asked.

"1972, IW." Sunil repeated, "I saw it in my dream, I guess it's a year and someone's initials."

Blythe nodded, "All right. Youngmee is usually at the library this time of day, she can always look at the history of the land there. I'll call her, okay, Sunil?"

Sunil nodded as Blythe dialed Youngmee on her cellphone and spoke into it, "Hello? Youngmee, I have a favor to ask of you."

Youngmee smiled on the other end, "Oh, hello Blythe. What can I do for you?"

"I need you to talk with the historian at the library. There's a rumor something went on at the Littlest Pet Shop back in 1972. Maybe the pet shop wasn't even built then but something happened back in 1972 where it now stands. Also, I have some initials for you: IW. I'm pretty sure they're connected with the year somehow." Blythe spoke into the phone.

Youngmee nodded on the other end, "Got it, I'll see what I can find and call you back. Okay, Blythe?"

"All right, thanks Youngmee. Bye." Blythe responded.

"Bye." Youngmee replied and they both hung up their phones.

Blythe turned and smiled at Sunil, "Looks like Youngmee is here to help us."

Sunil smiled, "That's good. So now that I have told you the story, what are you going to do?"

Blythe sighed, "I know it sounds like a dirty job but I'm going to have to open that safe. If the safe does carry a dead body, she'll deserve a proper burial."

Sunil looked at her with big, sad eyes, "May I please come along?"

Blythe sighed, "Sorry Sunil, but you should probably stay here. I don't want you getting hurt in the basement again."

Sunil sighed, "All right, I guess I just need to take a break from all this crazy stuff."

Pepper rolled her eyes, "You know, Sunil, maybe they should serve you at KFC."

Sunil raised his eyebrow, "Why would you say that, Pepper?"

Pepper snickered, "Because...you're chicken!"

Sunil glared at Pepper, "You know, I feel sorry for you. You think everything is a joke, Pepper. I think you still have a lot to learn."

Pepper smirked, "Like I said, Sunil. You should learn to laugh at yourself once in a while. You worry way too much, why don't you smile for me?"

Sunil sighed and made a pouty face, "Like this?"

Pepper chuckled, "Come on, Sunil. You can do better than that. Think about that chocolate pudding joke Vinnie told you last week."

Sunil thought about the joke and a smile began to grow on his face, "You're right, that was a pretty funny joke."

Pepper grinned, "See? I knew you could smile! Anyway, try to get some rest. I need you to be in tip top shape for when I fill your bed with ants!"

Sunil rolled his eyes and chuckled a bit, "Thank you so very much for keeping me on my toes."

Pepper simply shrugged, "No prob. I wouldn't wanna kick you when you're down."

And with that, Blythe and Pepper left while Sunil breathed a heavy sigh. So many things were going through the mongoose's mind. Who murdered Kim? What else happened back in 1972? Did Pepper have a secret crush on him and pick on him as a sign of affection? And what about the others? What would happen if they found out his secret? He thought deeply about all this. Russell, Minka, Zoe...how would they treat him if they found out he saw ghosts? Pity him? Laugh at him? Try to make money off of him? A ghostly chill filled the air and a shadow darted past the mongoose's peripheral vision. Sunil whimpered gently to himself as he hugged himself tightly for warmth and comfort. It was the only thing he could do from falling to pieces.


	4. Discovery

**NOTE:** _Here is the 4th chapter. Feel free to read and review and enjoy! Pepper makes a TON of jokes in this chapter so brace yourself._

Blythe and Pepper had just arrived back at the Littlest Pet Shop. Looking around, Blythe spotted a piece of paper on the doorstep. She picked it up and unfolded it and felt a chill run down her spine as she read the poem:  
_Left 9_  
_Right 76_  
_Left 21_  
_Right 43_  
_My blue hero, set me free_

"My blue hero?" Blythe mused, "Sunil?"

Pepper rolled her eyes, "Sounds more like Sonic The Hedgehog if you ask me."

Blythe sighed, "Either way, we're going down to the basement and cracking the safe. I'm rather disturbed that there's a dead animal inside the walls of this place."

Pepper sighed, "I guess Sunil was right. Maybe I should take him more seriously."

The girl and skunk entered the pet shop and went to the back. Mrs Twombly was too busy dusting her doorknob collection and humming Ozzy Osbourne to herself to pay attention to the arrival.

Russell approached the two with a worried look on his face, "Is Sunil all right?"

Blythe smiled and nodded, "He'll be fine. He just needs some rest. The poor guy has been through a lot so I can't blame him for being exhausted."

Pepper shrugged, "He's just too chicken to go down to the basement again. His owners will pick him up at the vet."

Penny and Vinnie saw Blythe and ran up to her. Penny looked very apologetic and has tears rolling down her face, "We're very, very sorry about Sunil."

Vinnie was on the verge of crying himself, "Sunil's my bro. I don't want my bro getting hurt!"

Blythe sighed, "Calm down, you two. Sunil is fine. He's resting at the vet and it's nothing serious."

Vinnie let out a sigh of relief, "That's good to know."

"He seemed kinda depressed but he's always depressed when he isn't panicking." Pepper chuckled.

Russell rolled his eyes, "You know, Pepper, maybe you should lay off Sunil and cut him some slack, if it weren't for him, who knows what could've happened to Zoe's sister or us for that matter?"

Pepper smirked, "Sorry, but he always sets himself up as an easy target."

Penny rolled her eyes, "Maybe you should try a shtick that involves not insulting others for once."

Pepper sighed, "Yeah, I guess you're right."

Blythe smiled, "Anyway, Pepper and I are going to the basement. Anyone wanna come with us?"

Vinnie and Penny shook their heads as Vinnie spoke up, "Nuh uh, we're not gonna go down to that dark, spooky place again."

Penny nodded in agreement, "We'll stay up here."

Russell smiled, "I'll go, someone has to come along to ensure the safety of the trip. Remember what happened to Sunil?"

Blythe smiled, "All right, looks like I'm going down with Pepper and Russell."

"What about Minka?" Penny asked.

Vinnie looked over to Minka who was too busy painting on a mural, "She's not a big fan of the dumbwaiter after that one incident."

"Oh, yeah. Can't really say I blame her." Penny nodded.

And so, the girl, hedgehog and skunk all boarded the dumbwaiter and waved goodbye to the panda and gecko before going down. Upon reaching the bottom, they got out and saw a large stack of crates. Russell shuddered a bit, "This is the one place in the pet shop I don't like so much."

Pepper rolled her eyes, "Don't be such a baby, that's Sunil's job. The economy is so bad, that even he has to find a way to bring home the bacon."

"That wasn't funny, Pepper." Russell said flatly.

Pepper rolled her pink eyes, "But it's true."

Blythe groaned, "Quit arguing, you two. We're here to find that safe."

Russell raised an eyebrow, "Safe? Seriously, what's up with that?"

Blythe sighed, "It's a long story. Sunil told me everything. I've got the combination on a sheet of paper."

Pepper grinned, "Maybe there's treasure inside, like some comedy props!"

Russell rolled his eyes, "Please, Pepper. Who would keep comedy props locked in a safe?"

"A clown with OCD?" Pepper grinned sheepishly.

Russell sighed, "Let's just get this safe open."

And so, the three walked down a hallway till they saw a large hole in the wall. "Penny must've made that hole." Russell said, "I doubt Sunil or Vinnie are strong enough to do that."

Blythe looked at the hole, "It's too small for me to fit in. Russell, I'm counting on you."

The hedgehog nodded, "Got it. You read the combination while I turn the lock."

And so, Russell stood in front of the safe and Blythe spoke to him, "Just be careful, it's still probably booby trapped with gas if you get it wrong."

Russell took a deep breath, "All right, read away."

"Left 9"

Russell turned the dial to the left.

"Right 76"

Russell turned it to the right.

"Left 21."

Russell turned it left again.

"Right 43"

Russell turned the dial right and a green light came open. The safe door opened up and the stench of death filled the air. Inside the safe lay the mummified remains of a hamster. Russell's eyes widened in shock and his jaw dropped, "Is that a...dead body?"

Blythe nodded, "Yes, yes it is. Sunil told me about his psychic vision."

Russell looked at Blythe with tears in his eyes, "How come you never told me?"

"Sunil is very sensitive about his psychic abilities." Blythe explained, "I wouldn't want you to pick on him about it."

Russell sighed, "I see. Maybe I was a little hard on him in the past...then again, I've always had a strong belief in math and science, not the supernatural."

Pepper groaned a little, "Just how long do you think a body inside that wall has flown under Mrs Twombly's radar?"

"Since 1972, apparently." Blythe answered.

"Whoever buried her took great care in mummifying her." Russell observed, "He or she must've been skilled in embalming things."

Blythe nodded, "Yeah, someone with a lot of medical knowledge. Sunil told me he had visions of a doctor torturing a hamster."

Russell cringed as he took the mummified corpse in his arms, "What do you suppose we do with it?"

"I know! I know! We use it to prank Vinnie!" Pepper said, hopping up and down. Blythe and Russell glared at the skunk and she let out a nervous chuckle, "Or...not."

"Sunil told me that when we find her body, we should hold a funeral for her." Blythe explained.

Pepper grinned, "Can I crack dirty jokes to keep people from crying at the funeral?"

Russell shook his head and crossed his arms, "That's just tacky, Pepper. You should be ashamed of yourself."

"I know." Pepper whimpered, "Just wanted to lighten the mood a little."

Russell turned to Blythe, "Can you please go get a crate for me? It could work well as a coffin."

Pepper's pink eyes lit up and she got a mischievous grin on her face, "Hey, Russell. What did one skeleton say to the other skeleton at the dinner party?"

Russel raised and eyebrow, "Pepper, I don't have time for your jo-"

"Quit COFFIN on my food!" The skunk burst out laughing as she rolled back and fourth across the floor.

Russell rolled his eyes and after Blythe got the crate, they helped put the mummified hamster carcass in there. Pepper couldn't help but chuckle a bit, "Looks like some BODY needs deodorant!"

Russell rolled his eyes again, "I'm just going to ingore your immature little wisecracks. Laugh all you want, Pepper. You'll learn your lesson someday. Life isn't a joke. This entire situation is disgusting."

Pepper smirked, "What are you talking about? This entire situation is hilarious! It's so cliche. I mean, a psychic vision and a dead body in the wall! So much material to work with here! How many Sunils does it take to change a lightbulb?"

Blythe sighed, "Russell is right, it's probably best you stop the jokes here."

Pepper groaned a little, "Aww...what a killjoy."

Blythe smiled to herself, "I wonder how Sunil is relaxing..."

Meanwhile, Sunil was actually having a pleasant dream for once. He was skipping alongside a meadow surrounded by a pine tree forest. Nothing but the blue sky and sunshine above his head as he skipped into a field of flowers. At the end of the field stood Kim. The hamster wore a purple dress with a pink bow. She turned around and saw Sunil running up to her, "Kim! I've got great news."

The hamster turned around and smiled at the blue mongoose, "What is it? Did you friends find my body?"

Sunil nodded, "I had a vision of it. Blythe, Russell and Pepper unlocked the safe."

Kim smiled, "That's great, I can finally rest in peace."

Sunil sighed, "I'm so sorry you had to go through all that, but now you're safe. Your owner cannot harm you anymore."

And with that, Kim slowly walked up to Sunil and pulled him into a ghostly hug. The blue mongoose felt his cheeks blush bright red as she nuzzled into his soft fur, "You're so very...welcome?"

Kim pulled away from the hug as she gazed into Sunil's eyes, "It's too bad we lived in different decades because you have the softest fur and most beautiful gold eyes I've ever seen."

Sunil blushed even more, "Yeah...that's a shame..."

Suddenly, the field of flowers wilted and storm clouds gathered in the sky. Kim's body slowly began to disintegrste from the foot up but nevertheless, she smiled, "I want you to promise me something."

Sunil blinked, "What is that?"

Kim gave him a gentle smile, "I want you to cry at my funeral. Just feel free to cry as long and as hard as you like. No one has ever cried for me before and it would mean a lot if you mourned for me."

Sunil smiled and nodded, "All right. I can do that."

Kim nodded, "I'll be gone, pretty soon. Thank you for everything, Sunil Nevla. You truly are my one and only friend in this world. Goodbye and farewell.

And with that, Kim turned to dust and was blown away by a strong wind. A few tears rolled down Sunil's muzzle as he watched Kim disintergrate, "So long, Kim Campbell." The mongoose choked out, "May you find peace in the...afterlife."

**NOTE:** _This story isn't over yet. I still have to do Kim's funeral and the killer's identity and backstory. Also, you can tell Kim has a little crush on Sunil. Sadly for her, she's a ghost while Pepper is alive._


	5. Funeral

**NOTE:** _This chapter contains some breakage of the fourth wall inspired by Animaniacs and Tiny Toon Adventures (Great shows, BTW). We also learn the identity of Kim's killer._

The next morning, all the main pets except Zoe were sitting in the main room of the pet shop. There was a long silence that was soon broken by Minka, "Can someone please tell me what's going on?"

Sunil hung his head. He didn't shed a single tear as he was saving them up for the funeral. Nevertheless, the expression on his face was that of pure heartbreak. Vinnie sighed, "We're holding a funeral. Someone...is gone..."

Minka felt tears in her eyes, "No, not Zoe. It...it can't be her! She-"

Russell shook his head, "Zoe is fine, Minka. She's on vacation and 100% fine. We found the body of a hamster in the walls."

"Kim." Sunil choked out as he squeezed his tail, "Her name is Kim Campbell."

Russell nodded, "Blythe said she's been buried here since 1972. Sunil told her so. He had a psychic vision."

Minka turned to Sunil, "Is that true?"

Sunil only let out a whimper in response and Penny put a paw on Minka's shoulder, "It's probably best not to talk with Sunil when he's this upset. Give him some space."

Russell turned to Pepper, "And don't even think about making jokes at the funeral, Pepper. I know we barely even know her but death is no laughing matter."

Sunil whimpered softly, "I knew her...I just cannot believe what she went through..."

There was a long silence before Pepper spoke up, "Guys, I've been trying out this black comedy routine and...if it offended you, I'm really sorry."

"You mean all those dead body jokes you cracked in the basement?" Russell asked.

Pepper nodded, "It was all part of a new shtick, I thought it would be a riot."

Russell shook his head, "I'm sure whoever wrote this fanfic was responsible for your out of character behavior."

Vinnie blinked, "What's a fanfic?"

"It's when someone writes a story about copyrighted characters in a copyrighted show doing things." Penny explained.

"Isn't that illegal?" Vinnie asked.

"Not really." Russell replied, "If it were, the prison system would be full of nonviolent fanfiction writers."

Suddenly, Blythe entered the room with the crate in her hands, "I've dug the hole, let's prepare for the funeral."

Minka gave Blythe a confused look, "We don't even know her? Why are we even holding a funeral?"

"It's what Sunil wants." Blythe replied, "He's pretty broken up about this whole thing and it would be nice if we could respect his spirituality."

Penny whimpered a little, "I haven't even met Kim and I think I'm going to cry already."

Sunil let out a sigh, "I already know I am. I made a promise to cry for her so she doesn't feel so unloved."

Russell just shook his head, "I just can't wait for this whole creepy saga to be over. I'm never looking at that basement in the same light ever again."

Vinnie nodded in agreement, "Me too. I can't wait for life to get back to normal after this."

They all headed out of the pet shop and went to a nearby shade tree with a freshly dug grave in front of it. Blythe sat down next to the crate and put her hand on it, "We are all gathered here today to mourn the death of Kim Campbell. She lived a tragic life in 1972 with no friends but we're all her fiends here at Littlest Pet Shop." Blythe pushed the crate into the hole, "So, let's pay our respects."

Minka was the first one to approach the grave and she tossed a paintbrush in it, "I never got to know you, but I sure hope you're having fun wherever you are, here's a paintbrush in case you get bored."

Minka then hopped away and Russell approached the grave with a notebook in his hand, "I have no idea what you've been through but maybe you can write all your memiors in this diary. Here, take this notebook." The hedgehog tossed the book and a pen in the grave, "May your story be brighter from here on out."

Russell left the grave and a sobbing Penny Ling approached it with a teddy bear in hand. She simply tossed the teddy bear in the grave and ran back to the group, sobbing.

Vinnie approached the grave and threw a deck of cards in, "Um...uh...sorry you had to go through...whatever it is you went through. Here's some cards if you get bored...in the afterlife, you know."

The gecko sadly slinked back to the group and Pepper approached the grave. She opened her mouth to speak but Russell's glare silenced her. Sadly, she tossed a bicycle horn in the grave and went back to the group.

Sunil was the final pet to approach the grave, "Kim...if you are out there, if you can hear me, listen to my words. The monster is gone. It can no longer harm you so you have nothing to fear." The mongoose took off his magician hat and pulled a bag from it, "The magic dust in this bag will protect you from dark forces and evil spirits." Sunil tossed the bag in as tears began to form in his eyes, "I am never one to break a promise so now I shall weep for you."

The mongoose choked back a sob as he thought about all the pain, torture and hurt the hamster went through. Sunil hung his head, salty tears rolling down his blue muzzle. One by one the tears dripped from his pink nose and splattered onto the crate below as he knelt over the grave. His soft, fuzzy blue body shook and trembled with sobs as he hugged himself and cried softly.

Russell stared in shock, unsure what to think when he saw Sunil weeping silently by Kim's grave. He knew Sunil had a good reason to cry but he couldn't help but pity the blue mongoose.

Minka looked more confused than anything. Who was this Kim and why was Sunil so attached to her? The monkey scratched her head, trying to make sense of it and came up with nothing.

Penny watched Sunil weep silently and it took every ounce of willpower not to run up to him and pull him into a warm hug. She knew Sunil needed his space but it was pure torture hearing those heartwrenching whimpers and watching the tears silently falling from the mongoose's face.

Vinnie felt like he had been stabbed in the heart. It tore him up to see his best friend in such a deep state of grief. He had never seen Sunil cry in such a painful way. It wasn't hysterical bawling. It was more like a series of gentle whimpers and sobs that just tore his heart in two.

Pepper shut her pink eyes against the sting of tears. Hearing Sunil cry like that...now she felt guilty more than ever over those terrible jokes she made.

Halfway through his sobbing, rain began pouring from the sky, drenching Sunil's fur and mixing with the salty tears on his face. Blythe opened an umbrella and all the pets stood under it with the exception of Sunil. His body trembled uncontrollably from the freezing rain as he shook with sobs. It was a sight that could break even the hardest of hearts. After about 24 minutes, Sunil got up, his eyes completely red from crying, his cheeks and muzzle soaked with bitter tears and drenched with rain. Blythe walked over to Sunil, picked him up and pulled him into a hug, "I'm sorry you had to discover such an awful thing, Sunil."

Sunil sniffled a bit, "I know, but I guess someone has to be the hero of every story."

Blythe let out a sigh as she stroked the tuft of fur on Sunil's head and thumbed a few tears from his face, "It's probably best we go inside and relax. I'll find a blanket to warm you up."

And so, Blythe covered the grave with dirt and she and the pets all moved inside and settled down. Blythe wrapped Sunil in a blanket and dried him off. The poor mongoose trembled and shivered uncontrollably as he tried to snuggle with the blanket.

Suddenly, Blythe's phone rang and she picked it up, "Hello?"

Youngmee was on the other end, "Hey, Blythe. Just found out the history of the Littlest Petshop back in 1972."

Blythe smiled, "Really? That's great, Youngmee. So, what happened?"

Youngmee let out a deep sigh, "Prepare yourself for a story straight from a horror novel. In 1972, an apartment complex stood where Littlest Pet Shop now stands. There lived a resident named Irene Whitman and let's just say that she lost it. Big time. She was a skilled surgeon but started to suffer a nervous breakdown when her husband divorced her for another woman. She found out she was pregnant with twins but it turned out, the twins were parasitic and one ate the other. She was so devastated, she began buying fetuses from black market traders and dressing them up in custom size outfits. Not long after, she bought a hamster and started breeding her with male hamsters and often performed surgery on her. She'd often do these experiments in the basement and most of the residents ignored her erratic behavior. She then took the hamster's unborn fetuses and fed them to her own daughter in hopes her daughter would give birth to her own parasitic twin. Eventually, this was found out by police and social services arrived. Not long after, she stabbed the hamster to death and hung herself."

"How on Earth did you find all that out?" Blythe asked Youngmee.

"The historian actually knew her. There was a story of it in the paper. The name of the guy who sold her the fetuses was Bob Open but he passed away from cancer a couple years ago." Youngmee replied.

Blythe nodded, "All right, thank you for the information. I'll see you tomorrow, Youngmee. Bye." Blythe hung up the phone and turned to Sunil, "It was a woman that killed Kim, Sunil. Her name is Irene Whitman."

Sunil blinked his golden eyes a few times, "So, you're saying that a woman killed Kim?"

Blythe nodded, "You see, Sunil, back in 1972, this place used to be apartments and she was a surgeon. She would often perform expeiments in the basement."

Sunil looked at Blythe with big, sad eyes, "Why did she hurt Kim?"

Blythe pulled the blue mongoose into a hug, "Because...she was ill. Irene had...problems. She thought she could bring back her daughter by hurting Kim. It's complicated..."

Sunil's ears wilted and his heart broke, "Blythe...everyone...I'm sorry I had to drag you all into this. If you do not want to be my friends anymore for discovering a dead body then so be it. I spoiled the happy image of Littlest Pet Shop and ruined the atmosphere. I am so sorry."

A tear exited Sunil's gold eye and slipped down his face but then he felt a tongue softly lick it away. He opened his eyes and saw Pepper grinning at him, "Don't be such a downer, Sunil, we're all here for you no matter what." The skunk pulled him into a tight hug, "Besides, crying is Penny's job. You've done enough crying for today."

Sunil smiled, blushing because Pepper kissed the tear away as he hugged her back, "Thank you, Pepper."

Russell nodded, "I'm actually kind of glad the body was removed from the wall. The basement somehow seems less creepy now. Still not a big fan of the place, though."

"Do you think we should keep this whole thing a secret to Zoe?" Vinnie asked.

"We probably should tell her at some point." Russell replied, "But probably not right away."

Sunil sighed, "Zoe is lucky, I'd rather go on a cruise ship than discover a body in the wall anyday."

"Me too." Minka nodded in agreement, "I wouldn't mind going to a pet spa on a cruise ship."

Pepper nodded in agreement with a sly grin on her face, "There's so many pranks I could pull aboard a cruise ship."

Sunil raised an eyebrow, "No offense but I do not think they would let a skunk board a cruise ship."

Pepper thought about Sunil's words for a minute, "Yeah, you're right. Couldn't keep a very low profile cause of my spray."

Blythe let out a loud yawn, "Well, the day is almost over. It won't be long till your owners all pick you up. Tomorrow, Zoe will come back and we'll have a karaoke breakfast in honor of her arrival. Hope you all picked your songs out."

And with that, the pets were picked up one by one from their owners and Blythe went home and had a nice, long sleep as she tried to put the whole incident behind her.

Sunil, however, didn't have a very pleasant sleep. The room he slept in felt...colder than normal. Shivers ran down the mongoose's spine as he felt like something was watching him. His heart raced as his eyes darted across the room. Suddenly, he felt an icy claw caress his neck and he let out a soft whimper, "Who...are you?"

"My name is...Irene Whitman..." The voice hissed back demonically as the shadow figure grabbed Sunil by the throat.

**NOTE:** _Well, looks like Sunil is going to be in for the fight of his life. In case you're curious, I'm a big fan of the show Criminal Minds and a lot of stuff from that show inspired the villain of this story's character. In a way, Irene Whitman is like an unsub of sorts and Kim Campbell is her victim. Also, yeah, I'm a Sepper shipper (at the moment anyway) but I prefer to keep them in character as much as possible so as not to make Pepper look like a pretty little princess. Pepper is no princess, it's just not her thing._


	6. Showdown

**NOTE:** _And so this is the epic showdown of Sunil Nevla vs Irene Whitman. Enjoy!_

Sunil's heart raced deep inside his chest as he felt the demonic hand grab him by his throat and hoist him up in the air. A creepy female voice spoke to him inside his head, "I can taste the fear in your bones, Nevla. You set her free, didn't you?"

Sunil whimpered as he strugged against her grip, "Why did you hurt her?"

Irene smirked as she gently ran her claws along the terrified mongoose's neck, "Fetuses are strange and beautiful things. So helpless and fragile yet they are the building blocks of life. Baby mongooses are born blind, but you were born with a special sight, Nevla. A mind's eye. You could see things before you were even born. You could see spirits."

"H-h-how do you know m-m-my name a-and how are you t-t-talking to m-me?" Sunil shivered, the fur on the back of his neck standing up.

Irene grinned, "Open your eyes and look at me."

Sunil opened his eyes and before him was a woman in a hospital gown with long, dark hair wearing a mask on her face. The mask was white and had a look of despair on it's face. She spoke to him in a breathy voice, "You see this mask? This mask is my armor, my shell which protects my madness. You have no idea what I am capable of, Nevla. Even with your psychic abilities, you have only begun to scratch the surface of my madness, my insanity. My daughter needs her sister but the experiments were a failure. Kim was no use to me. Tell me, Nevla, what do you see when you look at me?"

Sunil whimpered as a tear trailed down his nose, "Someone who has caused a lot of pain..."

"You are a fool." Irene hissed, a shadowy tentacle creeping out of her dress and wrapping around the mongoose like a vine.

Electricity surged through Sunil as he let out a shriek of distress. It felt as if he were being electrocuted but instead of being burned by heat, it felt like an icy cold burn. Irene let out a growl as she began to poke Sunil repeatedly with her sharp nails, not quite stabbing him but gently scratching him. The mongoose's little heart raced and he began to feel dizzy and sick. It almost felt like his brain was being violated in a ghostly way. Irene's voice echoed in his head, "How does that feel? That's what I felt when my daughter consumed her twin. Do you like this feeling?"

"Please...stop..." Sunil whimpered softly but Irene refused, shadowy tentacles poking repeatedly at his turquoise-furred chest, causing him to vomit.

Irene grinned from behind the mask, "Just like a newborn, crying for it's mother..."

"Why are you hurting me?" Sunil choked out, feeling spiritually drained and weakened from the onslaught of tentacles.

"Because...you poke your psychic nose where it doesn't belong! Remember me? I visited you years ago. The first time you moved to the city. Remember, Nevla?" Irene hissed.

Sunil closed his eyes and remembered back to the day where he and his owners moved to the city and got an apartment. Suddenly, he got a bit of a deja vu feeling and a sickness in his stomach, "No..."

"I wanted to scare you to death back then. That way, you wouldn't be able to help Kim out. You would be dead and out of the picture. I knew you'd meddle in my affairs. Did you really think I'd let you send me to hell?" Irene asked.

Sunil gazed at her with a look of blank shock on his face, "So, you were going to assassinate me?"

Irene chuckled from behind her mask, "You're a smart one, Nevla. I bet your smart enough to know you won't be so lucky this time."

Sunil felt a feeling of dread wash over him, causing his heart to start racing again, "P-p-please don't k-k-kill me..."

Irene laughed from behind her mask, "Scared and vulnerable. Just like a newborn child. That's what makes you so beautiful, Nevla. You're so sensitive, so fragile. I can break your little spirit like a twig."

Sunil whimpered softly as Irene removed her mask. Behind her mask wasn't a face but a head with a wriggling mass of bloody hamster fetuses where the face should have been. All the blood drained from Sunil's face as chills ran through him. It felt as if his entire spirit was being raped and he was literally paralyzed and catatonic from fear.

Irene grabbed the shivering mongoose and started squeezing him. She then pinned the helpless creature to a wall and started punching him repeatedly. Sunil was literally too frozen in fear to fight back. She was about to land a 5th punch when she found herself punching a magic barrier. She turned her deformed face and noticed Kim standing before her, "You leave Sunil alone!"

"Hmph. You always were a useless subject..." Irene growled telepathically in a demonic voice to the hamster.

Kim glared at Irene, "You can mess with me all you want, just don't hurt Sunil."

A shadow tentacle lashed out from Irene's gown and Kim dodged. She then charged at the ghost and tackled her, clawing and biting her but it wasn't long before Kim was overpowered as she was grabbed in Irene's other claw, "Looks like I've got the two of you right where I want you. Before you die, Sunil, I want to ask you something. What was the very first thing you saw in your mind's eye when you were born..."

Sunil's fear had thawed a little by Kim's presence and he squeezed his eyes shut, trying to concentrate on his first psychic vision, "I saw..."

Irene laughed in anticipation, "Yes! Tell me what you saw!"

"I saw...I saw...a cobra." Sunil's eyes snapped open to reveal they were glowing white. The fear in his gut was now replaced by a bloodthirsty rage. Hissing, Sunil leapt at Irene and started clawing and biting at her. He saw her as a cobra now and there was no stopping the bloodlust.

Irene laughed, completely unfazed by Sunil's sudden change, "Just like a toddler, throwing a tantrum. Looks like you'll need a time out, little one."

Sunil snarled as he ripped at her with his claws, "I am not afraid of you, you filthy cobra woman!"

Irene's demonic voice burst into laughter, "Your anger is ridiculous! Do you really think a pipsqueak like you can stop me!?"

"SHUT UP! YOU'RE THE REASON I'M A COWARD IN THE FIRST PLACE! EVERY NIGHT, EVERY SINGLE NIGHT, I THINK OF WHAT YOU DID TO ME, YOU MONSTER!" Sunil screamed with scalding hot tears of rage streaming like rivers down his face.

Irene sneered, "Now you know what it feels like to lose something precious, just like me. I lost my daughter, you lost your innocence and peace of mind. Looks like we're about even, huh Nevla?"

Sunil wept angrily, slashing his razor sharp claws at her, "JUST BECAUSE YOU LOST SOMEONE GIVES YOU NO RIGHT TO HURT OTHERS, DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME?!"

"Crying while attacking me. What an emotional weakling you are. You're just as weak as Ling, such a fragile soul. I must admit, Nevla. You have the most interesting group of friends I've seen, maybe I could go after one of them. Ferguson, so neat, orderly and obsessive-compulsive. Maybe I could drive him insane? Then we have fun little talented artist Mark, maybe I could trap her in a small space for a long period of time just to see what kind of picture she paints afterward."

"Shut up." Sunil snarled, fur standing on end.

"Then there's Terrio, your best buddy who can't dance for his life. Maybe if I break his legs, he'll never dance again! Oh, and let's name forget pop diva Trent who is now on a plane home. There aren't enough plane crashes if you ask me! Maybe I could damage her voice somehow." Irene continued, ignoring Sunil.

"I SAID SHUT UP!" Sunil shouted, the hot tears dripping from his muzzle.

Irene couldn't help but laugh a little, "Finally, we have Clark. She thinks she's so funny, cracking people jokes and making people laugh Just wait until I-"

Sunil had enough of Irene's ranting, he raised his claws and began slashing at her throat, "YOU TOUCH A SINGLE ONE OF MY FRIENDS AND I WILL COMPLETELY END YOU, IS THAT CLEAR!?" The mongoose sank his fangs into Irene's neck and he tried to rip her throat out, adrenaline rushing through his small, turquoise body.

Irene grabbed Sunil off of her and threw him but he landed on his feet and started rushing at her, claws and fangs retracted as he hissed with pure rage. Irene dodged out of the way and grabbed Sunil with a shadow tentacle that creeped out from under her gown, "Any last words before you're six feet under, you psychic pest?" Irene hissed.

Sunil turned and looked at Kim, "Kim, may I borrow the magic dust please?"

"Of course!" Kim shouted as she tossed the bag to him. Sunil caught it in his paw and turned to face Irene.

"Aren't you going to beg for mercy?" Irene asked in a sinister tone of voice.

Sunil quickly opened the bag and tossed some of the magic dust in the air, "A-Magicka Bee, A-Magicka Boo, a locust JUST FOR YOU!"

Suddenly, the dust turned into a swarm of killer locusts and they were quickly covering Irene, biting her and devouring her flesh. Sunil watched as her ghost now became the form of a skeleton with a fetus floating inside the ribcage. But something was strange, the fetus appeared to be wearing some sort of helmet and controlling the skeleton as if it were a robot. The skeleton took one step and crumbled into dust with the fetus that was Irene's new form levitated in mid air.

Sunil blinked a few times and raised an eyebrow, "That was rather anticlimactic. You sure do not know when to give up, do you, Irene?"

The fetus began to cackle in a squeaky voice, "You have no idea, Nevla."

Sunil couldn't help but chuckle, "Now how am I supposed to take you seriously with that teeny tiny voice?"

"Silence, you psychic crybaby! I will break your will to live, I will-" Irene's sentence was cut off by Sunil putting his magic hat over her and tapping his wand on the hat 3 times.

"Look whose the pipsqueak now, Irene Witless!" Sunil snickered to himself, "Hey, I just made a funny! Kim, would you mind handing me the dust again, I need to seal Irene's soul in the hat. That way, she can never hurt anyone ever again."

Kim nodded and handed Sunil the dust and he threw a handful in the hat as he mumbled some magic words. He continued to mumble magic words as he applied the dust to his body like ointment. His wounds from the battle soon closed up. The hamster smiled at the mongoose, "Are you keeping that hat?"

Sunil shook his head, "I've got many more like it at home. The best thing to do would be throw this one in a bonfire and burn it. That way, Irene is vanquished once and for all."

"Thank you for your help, Sunil." Kim said, wrapping her arms around the blue mongoose as she pulled him into a hug.

Sunil blinked back the sting of tears, "No, thank you. If it wasn't for you, Irene would have killed me."

Kim looked up at Sunil as tears ran down her cheeks from her soft blue eyes, "I'll miss you."

Sunil sniffled, rubbing his eyes with the backs of his paws, "I'll miss you too, Kim."

And with that, Kim gave Sunil a quick kiss on the cheek and slowly faded away. The mongoose watched her fade away as a single tear rolled down his face. Sunil looked at the room around him. The atmosphere was all back to normal and his owners were surprisingly heavy sleepers so they weren't woken up by the epic battle. He glared at his magician hat with a distasteful sneer on his muzzle, "Next thing tomorrow morning, you'll be cooked extra crispy, Irene. I will be making sure of it."

**NOTE:** _This is not the end! Coming up: Hat burning , Zoe comes back from vacation, some talking and a karaoke dance party ending!_


	7. Party

**NOTE:** _Here is the final chapter of the story. Goes to show you that I have a bit of a mixed taste in music._

The six pets all gathered around a bonfire, watching Sunil's magician hat burn. The mongoose drew a heavy sigh, "Irene is no longer a threat, she has been banished."

"Then why do you seem so sad?" Minka asked, scratching her head.

Sunil whimpered a bit, "I still have scars from what she has done to me. And what she has done to poor Kim, no one deserves that kind of treatment. When I first met all of you, I already had the scars. A long time ago, I used to be happy and curious. Irene robbed me of my innocence and that I shall never recover from."

Vinnie walked up to Sunil and sat next to him, "That isn't true, Sunil. You seem awfully happy when you're doing magic."

Sunil rubbed his tail a bit, "Magic is only an escape I have from the curse. It's what helps keep my brain occupied so I don't have to worry so much."

Vinnie rolled his eyes, "Come on, Sunil. So what if you have a bunch of ghosts swimming inside your head? There made of ectoplasm, it's not like they can hurt you, can they?"

Sunil stared at Vinnie with his eyes wide in horror and immediately, the gecko choked on his own words, "Oh...I'm sorry. I didn't know."

Penny turned to Sunil, "By the way, where did you get that magic dust?"

Sunil closed his eyes, "It was given to me by my mother. Like me, she is also sensitive to spirits. She gave it to me to protect me from evil spirits but when I met Kim, I knew she needed the dust more than I ever did."

"Did your mother make the dust herself?" Penny asked curiously.

Sunil shook his head, "No, she got it from a trader out in the desert."

There was a long silence before it was broken by Russell, "You know, I didn't believe in ghosts and spirits back then but after all these events happened with Sunil, it kind of makes me wonder."

Sunil nodded, "Ghosts are very real, Russell. You're just not as sensitive to their energy as I am."

"Maybe his bossiness scares the ghosts away." Pepper joked.

"Hey!" Russell shouted, crossing his arms.

Pepper giggled a bit, "Lighten up, Rusty. It was only a joke."

Russell crossed his arms and grumbled a bit while Pepper walked up and sat next to Sunil. The skunk cleared her throat, "I know this seems like all of a sudden, but can you and I have a private chat?"

Sunil turned to Vinnie who winked at him and gave him a thumbs up. The mongoose smiled at the skunk, "All right, as long as this isn't some sort of lame prank, I'm game."

And so, Sunil and Pepper walked away from the group to find a more private spot. Sunil had a confused look on his face, "What is it you want to talk about?"

Pepper drew a heavy sigh as she felt a lump form in her throat, "Sunil...I couldn't help but think how awful I've been to you."

Sunil shrugged, "You haven't been any worse to me since we first met."

Pepper hung her head as tears formed in her eyes, "I've never been one for mushy stuff like this but, you know how sometimes girls tease boys cause they like them and vice versa?"

Sunil blinked, "Yes?"

Pepper loked up at the mongoose through teary eyes, "Sunil, what would you say if I told you that I deeply loved you?"

Sunil found himself blushing, "Well, I would uh..." A tear rolled down Pepper's face as she choked back a sob. Sunil felt his heart break as he knelt down and brushed Pepper's tear away, "No, no, no. Please don't cry, Pepper."

The mongoose was completely shocked, he had rarely ever seen Pepper cry before. Yet here she was, sobbing into his arms. He felt himself blushing as he hugged her and rubbed her back. After about 5 minutes, the skunk sniffled and dried her eyes, "Please do me a favor and pretend that never happened. I don't want the others to think I'm going all soft and sappy, all right?"

Sunil nodded, "All right."

Pepper smirked at him, "Because if you tell them that I cried, I'll fill your favorite bean bag chair with scorpions. Is that clear?"

"Crystal." Sunil nodded nervously, his little heart racing inside his chest.

Pepper smiled at Sunil, "So, I'm guessing you would like to...you know..."

Sunil blinked, "Go on a date? All right, I guess it wouldn't hurt."

"Either you really ARE psychic or you're just very observant." Pepper replied, playfully punching Sunil in the arm as a pleasant aroma wafted from her bushy tail.

Sunil chuckled a bit as he rubbed his arm, "Remember, Pepper. This is a date, not a boxing match." He breathed in the aroma, causing him to relax a little.

Pepper smirked a little, "You're a wimp but you're a cute wimp. All right, meet me at the sweet shop at 2 in the afternoon."

Meanwhile, Zoe had just arrived and walked up to Russell, Penny, Vinnie and Minka who were all gathered around the campfire, "Oh, hey everyone. Why is Sunil's hat burning?"

"Oh, an evil spirit is trapped in it and we're getting rid of it permanently." Russell replied, completely deadpan, "So how was your trip?"

"Absolutely and completely fabulous." Zoe replied, "I got lobster flavored kibble and there was a groomer on board and I also met this really dreamy minpin named Chad. He gave me a massage and he has the most gentle paws..."

Vinnie raised an eyebrow, "Eww. Lobster flavored kibble? I'll pass. And what about Digby? I thought he was your boyfriend."

Zoe shrugged, "We all gotta move on sometime."

Penny sighed, "Poor Digby will be so broken up over this."

Zoe rolled her eyes, "Well, when I become a famous pop star, boys will flock from across the globe to see me."

Russell crossed his arms, "Sounds like you have commitment issues."

Minka smiled, "Anyway, we're glad to have you back, Zoe. Karaoke starts up in about 5 minutes."

Zoe looked around, "By the way, where's Sunil and Pepper?"

Penny smiled, "Oh, they went for a walk because they had some private issues to discuss."

Just then, the mongoose and skunk approached the group and saw Zoe. Sunil smiled, "Welcome back, Zoe."

Pepper looked around at everyone, "Looks like we're all here. Let's go back inside and get this party started!"

And so, all the seven pets went back inside to see Blythe had the karaoke machine up and running. Zoe turned to Penny, "So, what song are you picking? I know what song I'm picking."

Penny smiled, "It's a surprise, Zoe. You'll have to wait and see."

Pepper chuckled a bit, "Probably a slow song. I'm not here for ballads, I'm here to rock out!"

Russell nodded, "Same here, believe it or not."

Vinnie gave Russell a confused look, "You? Rock out?"

Russell crossed his arms, "Hey! Even I need to cut loose sometime!"

Sunil looked around the group of pets and noticed Minka missing then he turned and saw her standing on stage, "Looks like karaoke breakfast has started sooner than we thought."

Minka was singing the **Journey song "Don't Stop Believing"** and putting her own little energetic twist on the song, hopping about the stage and drumming on the equipment, which quite annoyed Russell.

_Strangers, waiting, up and down the boulevard_  
_their shadows searching in the night_  
_streetlight people, living just to find emotion_  
_hiding somewhere in the night_

Vinnie went up to the stage next and his song choice surprised everyone. He sang **"Peg" by Steely Dan**. He wasn't that great a singer but his performance looked interesting.

_Peg it will come back to you_  
_Peg it will come back to you_  
_Then the shutter falls, you see it all in 3D,_  
_Its your favorite foregin movie._

Up next was Pepper, rocking out to **The Killers' "Somebody Told Me".** While performing, she tossed comedy props out into the audience.

_Well, somebody told me you had a boyfriend  
Who looked like a girlfriend  
That I had in February of last year  
It's not confidential, I've got potential_

Penny Ling took the stage next, crooning her version of **Adele's "Someone Like You".** Sunil and Minka were visibly moved to tears by her performance.

_Never mind, I'll find someone like you  
I wish nothing but the best for you too  
Don't forget me, I beg  
I remember you said,  
"Sometimes it lasts in love but sometimes it hurts instead,  
Sometimes it lasts in love but sometimes it hurts instead"_

Russell was next up, rocking out to **Billy Idol's "Rebel Yell".** It was a surprisingly high energy performance. Not as high energy as Minka's or Pepper's but the hedgehog still rocked the house.

_In the midnight hour she cried- "more, more, more"  
With a rebel yell she cried- "more, more, more"  
In the midniight hour babe- "more, more, more"  
With a rebel yell- "more, more, more"  
More, more, more._

Zoe turned to Sunil, "Can you please tell me what I've missed while I was gone?"

Sunil nodded, "I'm more of a magician than a musician, but I'll be more than happy to tell you in song format."

And with that, the blue mongoose went on stage, wearing his cape but with no hat. Sunil cleared his throat as he spoke into the microphone, "Ladies and gentlemen, I shall now pour out my feelings onto the stage."

Sunil closed his eyes as the music started up with a mid-tempo saxophone tune. Pretty song, the mongoose was singing the lyrics:

_I can't get to sleep  
I think about the implications  
Of diving in too deep  
And possibly the complications_

_Especially at night_  
_I worry over situations_  
_I know will be alright_  
_Perhaps it's just imagination_

_Day after day it reappears_  
_Night after night my heartbeat, shows the fear_  
_Ghosts appear and fade away_

_Alone between the sheets_  
_Only brings exasperation_  
_It's time to walk the streets_  
_Smell the desperation_

_At least there's pretty lights_  
_And though there's little variation_  
_It nullifies the night_  
_From overkill_

_Day after day it reappears_  
_Night after night my heartbeat, shows the fear_  
_Ghosts appear and fade away_  
_Come back another day_

And with that, Sunil used his magic wand to poof up a sitar and started playing the guitar solo on it before belting out the first verse again:

_I can't get to sleep  
I think about the implications  
Of diving in too deep  
And possibly the complications_

_Especially at night_  
_I worry over situations that_  
_I know will be alright_  
_It's just overkill_

_Day after day it reappears_  
_Night after night my heartbeat, shows the fear_  
_Ghosts appear and fade away_

_Ghosts appear and fade away_  
_Ghosts appear and fade away_

The song ended and the mongoose hopped off strange. Zoe looked mindblown, "So, you can see ghosts?"

Sunil nodded, now comfortable with his former secret, "Of course I can. Blythe can talk to animals, right?"

Zoe shrugged, "You're right, I guess that wouldn't be too much of a stretch."

Sunil drew a sigh of relief, "So, I guess I'm not a freak then, huh?"

Zoe shook her head, "Of course not but Pepper might make Sixth Sense jokes about it for a month before she cools down."

Sunil shivered, "I remember that movie. I cried a little when I saw it."

Zoe raised an eyebrow, "A little? Sunil, you were crying waterfalls over that movie and when you weren't crying, you were screaming like a little girl."

Sunil whimpered a little, "The part with Kyra..." The mongoose gave a soft sniffle.

Minka crossed her arms, "Stop picking on Sunil, Zoe. Just because he cried at a movie doesn't mean you should laugh at him."

Zoe rolled her eyes, "All right, all right. Sorry for making you unleash your inner Penny Ling, Sunil."

Penny rolled her eyes at Zoe's comment, "I'll just pretend I never heard that."

Suddenly, a disco ball lowered from the ceiling and Pepper smiled at Zoe, "Looks like you're the final one to sing, Zoe."

Zoe chuckled a bit, "You know what they say, always save the best for last!"

Vinnie grinned, "This fic is almost over, so would you mind giving us a closing credits song?"

Zoe shrugged, "Hey, why not?"

And with that, the purple spaniel took to the stage and started singing into the microphone:

_I never can say goodbye  
No, no, no I, I never can say goodbye  
Every time I think I've had enough  
And start heading for the door  
There's a very strange vibration  
Kissing me right to the core_

_It says turn around you fool, _  
_You know you love more _  
_And more _  
_Tell me why is it so? _  
_Don't wanna let you go _

_I never can say goodbye boy _  
_Ooh ooh baby I never can say goodbye _  
_No no no no no no _  
_Ooh hey I never can say goodbye, boy _  
_Ooh ooh baby _  
_I never can say goodbye _  
_[no no no no no no] hey _  
_I never can say goodbye [never say goodbye, boy] _  
_Oh no, no, no i, I never can say goodbye _  
_[never say goodbye, boy] _

_I keep thinking that our problems soon are all gonna work out_  
_But there's that same unhappy feeling, _  
_There's that anguish, there's that doubt _  
_It's that same old dizzy hangup _

_I can't do with you or without or you've had with you all your life _  
_Tell me why is it so? I don't wanna let you go _

_I never can say goodbye boy, ooh baby _  
_I never can say goodbye, no no no no no no _  
_Hey I never can say goodbye boy,ooh baby _  
_I never can say goodbye, no no no no no no _  
_I never can say goodbye, boy, _  
_I never can say goodbye, no no no no no no _  
_I never can say goodbye, boy _  
_I never can say goodbye, no no no no no no _  
_I never can say goodbye, boy _  
_I never can say goodbye, no no no no no no _  
_I never can say goodbye, boy _  
_I never can say goodbye, no no no no no no _

_Ooh ooh ooh hey I never can say goodbye, boy _  
_No no no baby hey never can say goodbye _  
_No no no no please, don't make me say goodbye _  
_Hey I will never say goodbye, no baby _  
_Oh please don't leave me, no no no no _  
_Hey oh I can't say goodbye, boy _  
_No no no baby _  
_Oh please don't oooh, baby._

**NOTE:** _The song that Sunil sings is "Overkill" by Men At Work and the song Zoe sings is "Never Can Say Goodbye" by Gloria Gaynor. I originally thought of having Zoe sing "Sinead" by Within Temptation but then I doubted she'd sing symphonic metal at karaoke. Men At Work's "Overkill" fits Sunil so much it's almost scary. I can totally picture him singing that song. Also, I may or may not upload an extra chapter about Sunil and Pepper's date at the sweet shop. Depends on writers block and that kinda stuff._


End file.
